An Unbearable Pain
by Spearnox
Summary: Elsa has started her new life in the North Mountain after the catastrophe that occurred during her coronation ball. But her new life is not as freeing as she thought it would be, and things get even more complicated when a certain Evil Queen pays her a visit. Can Anna save Elsa before she makes a fatal choice that can never be undone? Eventual Elsanna; you've been warned. Rated:T
1. Chapter 1

Elsa could just barely feel the warmth of the sunlight as the orange rays beamed towards her. She loved to watch the sun rise every morning, and the view from her ice castle was more than enough to give her that wonderful feeling of serenity.

There wasn't much for her to do up on the North Mountain. She had chosen the isolation before realizing how boring it would be. She spent most of her days sitting on her throne of ice, trying not to think, but finding it very hard not to do so. She thought about her kingdom that she had left behind, and of her people who she had threatened the lives of the day she could no longer conceal her powers. She thought of her parents and how disappointed they would have been to see the havoc she had caused, if they were alive. And she thought about Anna, and how much she missed her awkward, never-a-dull-moment sister, once again.

She'd cried a lot during her first few nights on the mountain, after the adrenaline of being free had worn off. Now she could sleep through the night, though her dreams, when she had them, were not all that pleasant. She didn't know how much more she could take of seeing Anna's terrified face as she slept. Afraid of her. Elsa had woken up to a tear drenched pillow and sore eyes more times than she could remember.

One evening, as Elsa prepared for sleep, she decided to walk out onto her balcony to view the stars. That is, if they were out tonight. To her relief, they were. The sky was strangely clear of all cloud cover and the stars shone brightly down onto the earth, making the ice of her castle glimmer like diamonds. The moon, full and majestic, watched Elsa's face as it momentarily lost all signs of stress, wide-eyed and smiling at the beauty before her. She felt small, and she liked that feeling. No one staring up at her, pointing and shrieking in fear. She didn't matter, she was nothing. She was fine. Absolutely fine.

A tear grew in the corner of her eye and dropped, betraying her thoughts. Elsa huffed and wiped the tear away before it had a chance to freeze in place. She leaned against the railing and let her thoughts soar back to Arendelle, where she knew Anna probably had her hands full, making preparations for her marriage to that prince; she didn't even remember his name, and running the kingdom at the same time. She's tough, Elsa thought. She can handle it.

But as Elsa continued to think of her sister, she could feel her heart becoming heavier and heavier with an unbearable pain. Elsa clamped her eyes shut and let out a groan of emotional agony, more tears starting to fall into the frigid air below.

"My, my, what do we have here," a deep, feminine voice teased from behind her.

Elsa whirled around to see a woman, draped in a tightly fitted black and purple dress, ivory skin, piercing dark eyes, and long ebony hair, standing confidently in the doorway that lead back to her bedroom. A wicked smile tugging at her red painted lips.

"Who are you…?" Elsa questioned between half-heartedly suppressed sniffles.

"Quite possibly the answer to all your problems, my dear Queen of Arendelle," the unfamiliar woman spoke as she strutted toward the snow queen.

"What do you know of my problems?" Elsa spat back.

"Your heart, it's hurting. Correct?"

Elsa looked away, ashamed that she was so easy to read. The woman put a hand on Elsa's cold shoulder for dramatic effect.

"I can help with that."

"You still haven't told me who you are."

The woman lowered her hand, clasping both behind her back and raising her chin.

"I am Regina, the Queen of a far off kingdom. One that is overflowing with magic; where people like you are worshipped instead of feared."

"Do they worship you?"

"In a way, yes." The dark queen's smile was all but pleasant.

There was a silence as Elsa thought. A world where people wouldn't fear her. It sounded tempting beyond anything imaginable, even more than a mountain of chocolate. But she knew it was a world without Anna, and that made it basically no different than the one she was suffering in now.

"All the wealth and acceptance in the world means nothing if my heart still aches. No form of worship or riches will relieve me of this pain, unfortunately."

"I knew that from the start my dear, I have a different offer for you. One that will be most effective."

Regina took Elsa's chilled hand in hers and then gently guided it to the snow queen's chest. Elsa shot the woman an icy gaze, but Regina was unwavering.

"This power I'm going to grant you will give you the ability to remove your heart from within you, and then you can do with it whatever you please. Destroy it even. Though, that will bring an end to you entirely."

"Why would I ever consider doing that?" Elsa almost shouted, finding the possibility of such a power ridiculous.

"I know what it's like to have a broken heart, and with this power, you'll be able to make it go away."

Elsa, her mouth agape, suddenly felt the hand that Regina held begin to tingle, and when she looked down, waves of magic like she'd never seen before rippled around their touching skin.

Regina chuckled and took a step backward.

"What's the catch? You can't honestly be giving this to me out of the goodness of your heart."

"That's right my dear, I'm not. But in any case, I can't help but pity you. When a stallion breaks its leg, what do you do?"

Elsa just stared back, speechless.

The dark queen let out a throaty laughed.

"You put it out of its misery."

Then, with a sudden swirling of dark smoke, she was gone, and Elsa was left in the light of the moon, alone, holding her hand and shaking.

* * *

><p><strong>Alright! So I sorta got this idea the other day, I'm not sure how or why. I have a lot of time to think while I'm at work and I like to write fanfics in my head to pass the time. But they don't usually make it on screen. This however is not one of them, it's just an idea I had and it seems to be working... I think. I'm not gonna freak out about technical story crap to make it seem canon or whatnot, I'm just gonna manipulate the stories together so it fits with what I want to write about. That being said, it probably won't be accurate to Frozen or OUAT. It's just a thing.<strong>

**Also, I have a strong passion for Elsanna, but I haven't yet decided if that's what I'll end up expressing in the characters. I really don't know how chapter 2 will play out, and/or if the story will go beyond a second chapter. We'll have to see.**

**If you like this story so far, please let me know. It gives me motivation to keep writing. And if I haven't updated this yet, bug me. Please. I wanna finish something for once.**

**Thank you for reading my fanfic (and my ridiculously long author's note)! I hope you enjoy the rest of your time on this site. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

The Snow Queen had never felt the cold. But she'd felt its power. It was beneath her skin, rippling. It soared through her blood; pulsing. Swirled within her soul, crying. She'd never known what it was like to live any other way. Born with the feeling. It waited impatiently, ready to flow out from within her, to see the world. To be beautiful. Beautiful like a new born child, one with platinum blonde fuzz atop its head, glistening in the moonlight like freshly fallen snow. The King and Queen stared at the still, little body. She didn't squirm or cry. Just whimpered softly, breathing steadily as she slept.

"I'd read about this, but I never thought," the King began to say as he paced the room. He wanted to feel joy, but fear was slowly creeping over him. The Queen looked down at the child's small, pale face, the lightest brush of freckles painted across her nose and cheeks.

"My husband, this is our daughter. She will be strong and wise, just as you are."

"You say that as though you've glimpsed the future yourself. But she is infused with magic, powerful and dangerous. She will be feared. The kingdom won't -"

"The kingdom will learn to love her just as we do. We will help her, there is no need to fear."

The King smiled, then sat beside his wife who lay still in their ruffled bed of white and ocean blue sheets. She handed him their baby. The air about her was cold as ice, but neither him nor the child felt it. The King's heart warmed, no longer afraid as he watched the little teal eyes flutter open and look back in wonder, a small fist waving toward him.

"Do you have a name for her, dear?" The Queen whispered softly.

"Her name is Elsa."

* * *

><p>"Hans, I'm going after her. This is my fault, my mistake to fix."<p>

"Anna, it's dangerous out there. You can't go alone."

The two of them were pacing the conference room, footsteps echoing all round them in the still air. It had been two weeks since Elsa's coronation/disappearance and Anna was beginning to grow worried, well, more worried than she had all ready been from the start.

"You keep telling me to stay here and take care of the kingdom and focus on our wedding, but I just can't do stuff like that and pretend to be fine knowing my sister is out there somewhere. Alone!" Anna gestured to the window and the mountain range beyond.

"At first it was a cool breeze, now it's gusts of cold air. If this keeps up, Arendelle will no longer be experiencing summer, Hans! Crops will die, livestock will starve, and people will starve. I have to find Elsa and ask her what's going on. Maybe she can stop this."

Hans sighed, slouching into a chair. Their wedding was tomorrow but he could tell Anna was in no mood to walk down the aisle. He wondered if she even remembered. Hans stood from his chair at the long, rectangular table and moved toward Anna who had hung her head in despair.

"All right, let's go find Elsa, together," he spoke softly, hoping it would calm his fiancé's rising temper.  
>"No, you need to stay here and keep order, especially if the weather gets worse," and especially if I don't return, Anna continued in her mind.<p>

"So now the rolls are reversed," Hans stated bitterly.

"I trust that you'll take excellent care of the kingdom while I'm gone, proof that you belong here, with me. Maybe then, my sister will give us her blessing."

Accepting defeat, Hans ran a hand through his handsomely sculpted auburn hair, then laughed.

"Your wish is my command, my dear princess. And anyway, how hard can it be, you know, running a kingdom and all…"

"I'm off then. Hubert! Ready my horse!"

"Right away, your majesty," a short, portly butler responded and hurried out the towering, redwood doors.

"Wait, Anna!" Hans said as he caught her arm before she could run off. She looked back, glaring ever so unhappily at the interruption.

"You still can't venture into the mountains alone, it's -" but Anna cut him off.  
>"Yes, I know! It's dangerous," the freckled red head responded sarcastically. "I'm sure I can find a mercenary in the market that will be more than willing to join me."<p>

With a playful wink, the princess slipped out of Hans' grip and bolted it for the door, green dress fluttering behind her, hoping Hubert had already made it to the stables.

* * *

><p>The marketplace was bustling with energy despite the chilly weather. The citizens were stocking up on as much food as their carts could possibly carry, rumours spreading fear amongst the people about the possibility of a very early winter. Everyone who wasn't engrossed in their purchasing and saw the princess as she rode through, bowed toward her, and then continued on their way. In return, Princess Anna kept a gentle, reassuring smile about her face, hoping its presence would calm some of the chaos.<p>

When Anna reached the middle of the market, she brought her horse and the riderless steed attached to her's to a halt, calling out, "I, Princess Anna of Arendelle, your Princess, am in search of a mercenary of great skill and bravery! He or she will journey with me and then be rewarded generously once the task is complete!"

The crowds suddenly went silent. People stared at the princess, then looked at one another, asking if the other knew what was going on. Anna gazed across the multitude of people, looking for a sword or hand that might be raised, or any movement what so ever. But the crowd was still.

"Will no one accompany me on my quest to find our Queen?"

The crowd then came to life in an uproar of conversation.

"She's not our Queen, she's a monster!" Anna heard someone cry out. Her face grew hot with frustration and she felt her heart and confidence drop like a pebble in a pool of water. People began to slowly scurry away, the crowd thinning, and the noise lessening. Anna let out a shaky sigh, unable to believe that no one wanted to help. Maybe she could take some guards… No, they were needed in the kingdom in case of attack or any other emergency, like a certain impending flash freeze if something wasn't done soon.

Anna patted her patient horse's neck, saying, "don't worry, there's got to be someone around who can help us," more to herself than to the expertly groomed animal.

Then suddenly, Anna heard a crunch and turned her head. A thin, hooded person dressed in animal hides and fur around the collar stood in the shadows next to an unattended apple cart. Whoever had been running the stall had just up and left like almost all of the people who had been gathered there only moments earlier.

"You there! Who are you?"

The oddly cloaked body stiffened at the sound, then emerged into the fading light of the stone paved street. They removed their hood, revealing a pale face framed by cascading locks of unkept, raven black hair, and lips that resembled the petals of a unblemished red rose. In her hand, the beautiful woman held a perfectly rounded maroon apple, that is except for the missing chuck in its side. She hung her head, then said, "my upmost apologies, your majesty. I was only hungry. I would not steal if I had any other option."

Anna face softened, then her eyes happened upon a sword that hung from the mysterious woman's side. Her heart sprang back up into her chest.

"What is your name?"

The pale woman looked up, studying the young princess who sat above her, then straightened her stance, looked her directly in the eyes, and replied, "my name is Snow White."

What a curious name, Anna thought.

"Well, Snow White, how would you like to accompany me on my quest?"

* * *

><p><strong>Another chapter? All ready? Wow this is a first, I must really love this story.<strong>

**But yeah, I'm so excited because I now have ideas on how to extend the plot and make this interesting and cool and... yay! :D**

**So there's definitely gonna be a chapter 3, and probably more after that. And I'm still not 100% sure on making this an Elsanna fanfic, so please voice your opinion in the kindest ways you can muster, I want to make as many of my readers happy as possible.  
><strong>

**BANDIT SNOW HAS ARRIVED. This is gonna be one hell of a party.**

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. If you like, please let me know. Gives me motivation to keep going and maybe even finish this (would be a miracle, but here's hoping). :3**

**Btw, in this story (if you haven't already noticed), Elsa doesn't freeze Arendelle right away. It's going to happen gradually. Haters gonna hate. :P**


	3. Chapter 3

"So where exactly are we headed to?" Snow White asked, steering her horse with ease through the dense amount of tree trunks. But Anna wasn't as skilled. She or her horse or both of them at the same time tended to keep getting caught on rough branches that jutted out every which way across their path. No matter how much Anna tried to avoid them, they found her. She was beginning to feel out of her element and was quickly becoming frustrated.

"Not… Ugh! Not exactly sure really. I, ouch!" Anna whined as branch after branch jabbed into her arms and legs. Snow chuckled at Anna's grumbling.

"The forest really is no place for a princess," the newly employed mercenary remarked.

"You sound like… Ah! Like Hans."

"And who's that?"

"My fiancé. He… He didn't think I should do this. But he's wrong. This is my chance to show Elsa that I'm not a kid she can just push aside anymore. And I'm gonna fight to the bitter end until she realizes that!"

Then suddenly a branch showed up out of nowhere and struck Anna right in the stomach. She doubled over, coughing frantically.

"Take it easy there, Ms. Enthusiasm, watch where you're trotting," teased Snow, moving her horse closer to Anna's and rubbing her employer's back as the red head coughed.

Finally they came into a clearing. The wild grass beneath them had wilted and begun to fade to a light brown. Anna suddenly realized her teeth were rattling. She drew her cloak closer around herself and glanced over at the mercenary who seemed to be completely unaffected by the drop in temperature.

"This isn't good," the older woman said. Anna looked at her intently. The woman, despite being dressed in wild animal pelts, seemed almost noble as she stared towards the mountain range in the distance.

"We have no food and all the wild berry bushes that may be near by will have wilted and froze because of this chill. Everything is dying from the frost."

"Well, you've got a sword. Can't you just… I dunno, hunt something down with it for dinner?"

Snow smiled at the young princess, almost pitifully. How little she knew about life outside her castle was beginning to show more and more as time went on.

"That's easier said than done, you know. And we'll also have to make camp, collect firewood and -" Snow stopped mid-sentence, something catching her eye. Anna looked in the direction her companion was facing and then saw it too. It was smoke, or maybe steam, rising into the sky in the not-so-far distance. Yeah, it was most likely steam, Anna decided. Once again, the two adventurers brought their horses to a trot and began there descent of the steep mountain side.

* * *

><p>Regina could already feel the Imp's creepy aura approaching her before his shrill voice rang out across the vast expanse beyond the snowy ledge she was perched on. Giving her a perfect view of the ice castle. Regina was a busy woman, yet she had managed to steal a few moments alone before it was time to get back to business. But her aloneness hadn't lasted long.<p>

"How's it going, deary? Put that little gift I gave you to good use yet?"

"That's none of your concern." Regina snapped back, keeping her vision fixed on the scenery.

"Oh come now, I'm oh so curious to know what sort of plan you're cooking up here, and why."

Regina huffed in annoyance, turning to the slimy little man dressed in reptile skins and leather; his grease drenched, curly hair dangling over his yellow eyes and muddy flesh.

"In that castle is a woman with extraordinary power. Her heart has the magical capabilities to produce endless amounts of ice and snow at will, expelling it from her hands and feet. She feels it within her very soul. It's incredible."

"And you want it, I'm assuming."

"Her heart? No, not at all. That complicated piece of muscle is of no use to me. But, I think I have figured out a way to take her powers as my own."

The freakish man giggled.

"Please do tell."

The evil queen drew a shiny dagger out from within her long, black cloak that trailed behind her. The Imp stared in awe at the pristine blade.

"It's enchanted, much like your own dagger is. But this one is empty, waiting to be filled."

"How ever did you get your hand on one of those? Wait, let me guess."

He whirled his arms around randomly, ending it with his right stretched out, a boney, long nailed finger pointing toward Regina.

"It was your mother."

Regina looked away.

"I found the spell among her possessions some time ago."

"I'd very much like to see it."

"You can't, I burned it up."

Rumpelstiltskin's face twisted.

"Now that wasn't very nice," he spoke with clenched teeth.

"In order for her powers to fuse with the dagger and then flow into me, I need to pass the blade right through her heart." Regina continued, ignoring the Imp's irritated remark.

"Well that shouldn't be a problem, all you have to do is waltz on in and -"

"No, it's not that simple. Her magic works different than ours. She was born with it, so there is a special bond. The Snow Queen needs to freely give up her icy heart to me in order for the transfer to be successful. If not, her powers will die with her."

Rumpelstiltskin was so fascinated by all this knowledge he'd just gained relating to his own curse that it made him giggle aloud with excitement and had him prancing around like a fox. Regina rolled her eyes and turned to look back at the ice castle. The day was almost upon them and soon she'd have to get back to work.

"I can't wait to see how this plays out. Well, ta ta for now deary!" And with a puff of smoke he was gone and Regina was alone again, an evil smile spreading across her face.

"It's time for your Frozen magic to become my own, and then, Snow White, you and your love sick puppy of a prince will never be able to stop me."

* * *

><p>Elsa stood just a few feet away from the doorway to the ballroom in her ice castle. The room around her was dark, but glinted with little bits of reflected light as the sun rose outside. She'd decided against watching it that morning. There was something else she wanted to do.<p>

She glanced at her hand that had been cursed with the strange magic. She could feel it faintly, as if it crawled around underneath her skin. Elsa hissed at the memory, pushing it out of her mind as best she could.

Now focused, she raised both her hands into the air and with a fast sweeping motion brought them back down, filling the giant crystal snowflake under the dance floor with a bright blue glow. Slowly, she raised her now cupped hands back up until her arms were horizontal. Then step by step, Elsa moved toward the centre of the room, the palms of her hands facing out, as if she was pushing an invisible object forward with ease.

The magic in the floor moved as she moved, starting at the tips of the snowflake's crystal branches and moving inward towards the centre. As it collected there, something began to form in the middle of the room. And within seconds, a grand piano, made entirely of ice, stood shining in the centre of the room, magical snow shooting away from it upon completion.

The Snow Queen smiled as she approached it. Something familiar, bringing her momentary peace. It was an exact replica of the instrument she had learned to play as a child. She let her hand wander over the smooth, reflective surface before propping the top lid open, admiring all the shining, silver strings and hammers inside, and then taking a seat on the flat bench. She was the perfect distance away from the keys, so there was no need to shuffle her seat around to get comfortable. Everything appeared perfect.

She began by trying out the keys, making sure they all sounded exactly as they should. The notes being played made no sense as she started from the highest point and moved her way down. After each one was played once, Elsa took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and began to play for real.

A song; soft and intricate, started to take shape. It gradually increased in volume as it went on, but kept a graceful consistency. Her hands danced sophisticatedly across the keys, and tears came to her eyes as her body swayed forward and back in time with the music.

It was a sad song, one she had written herself long ago to help her forget her younger sister. But it had never succeeded in serving its purpose, including now. In fact, it seemed to do the opposite. Yet, Elsa couldn't resist the desire to play; it was just too temptingly beautiful. Just like Anna.

Just like her sister.

* * *

><p><strong>These chapters keep getting longer... and longer. I'm sorry! XD<strong>

**I just keep getting more awesome ideas that I want to add. I'm gonna really try to not drag this out and get right to the climax of the story as quickly as possible. Imma try; doesn't mean I'll succeed.**

**And I couldn't resist not letting Rumple have his moment in the spotlight. He may not show up again, unfortunately. But I love him and how he constantly teases Regina, so he's in here.**

**Oh and btw, I've decided on making this Elsanna, so (once again) haters gonna hate, but I warned ya from the start. I'm really trying to not over and/or under think this whole story, so please bare with me, I'm trying my best. Once I get to the big explosion of climax epicness, I'll probably change this story's rating to M, just to be safe.**

**Thanks for reading this much so far, I love you all for doing so! Please let me know what you think in either a review or PM because if it's starting to suck, someone's gotta tell me (nicely) so I can fix it... somehow. But here's hoping it doesn't. :P**


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